Clip for spectacles

ABSTRACT

A clip or clasp is on a pair of spectacles for use in assuring its safe carrying and storage when not in use. For this purpose the clip may be placed on one or both of the temples near its hinge connection. Various forms of clips are illustrated, some of permanent installation and one of removable and replaceable construction.

United States Patent 1 Zipper CLIP FOR SPECTACLES [76] inventor: WalterJ. Zipper, 463 Mesa Rd.,

Santa Monica, Calif. 90402 221 Filed: 0ct.19,1973

2| Appl.No.:408,579

[52] US. Cl. 351/112 [51] Int. Cl G021: 5/16 [58] Field of Search351/112; 24/36 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,779,01510/1930 Schmitt 351/112 1,898,059 2/1933 McDonald 351/112 X 3,210,81410/1965 Wolf 351/112 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS l l62,365 4/1958France 351/112 May 13, 1975 9/1966 Switzerland 351/112 1/1969 France351/1 12 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Advertisement of Paramount Optical Mfg.Corp.. Nov. 1, 1949.

Primary Examiner-Paul A. Sacher Arrorney. Agent, or FirmLyon & Lyon [57]ABSTRACT A clip or clasp is on a pair of spectacles for use in assuringits safe carrying and storage when not in use. For this purpose the clipmay be placed on one or both of the temples near its hinge connection.Various forms of clips are illustrated, some of permanent installationand one of removable and replaceable construction.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures CLIP FOR SPECTACLES An object of the presentinvention is to provide improved means and techniques useful for thosepersons who are required to wear spectacles but who under some instancesmay wish to carry them or a spare pair of spectacles such as forexample, sunglasses, in a shirt or coat pocket in such a manner so as tobe assured that the spectacles will not become dislodged or lost fromsuch pocket as, for example, during running, jumping, stooping orbending operations.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provideimproved means and techniques for accomplishing the above-indicatedpurposes and results.

A specific object of the present invention is to pro vide improved meansand techniques of this character which are relatively simple,inexpensive, small and unobtrusive when the spectacles with such meansthereon are actually being worn by the person in the normal use.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide improvedmeans and techniques of this character which may readily be incorporatedon a temple of a pair of spectacles either in a permanent orsemipermanent manner.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. This inventionitself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a persons shirt or coat pocket, withinwhich a pair of spectacles embodying features of the present inventionis releaseably secured in accordance with features of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 2 3, are each like views illustrating various different forms ofmeans in the nature of a clip or clasp mounted on one of the temples ofa pair of spectacles.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating more details of the form ofclip shown in FIG. 5.

In each of the FIGS. 2 S the conventional spectacles are illustrated, inpart, in the form of one of the two lenses 10 secured in frame 12, suchframe 12 being conventionally hinged to one ofa pair of temples 14 ofconventional construction using conventional hinged means 18.

In FIG. 2 the temple 14 is of plastic material and during its formationis formed also with an integrally formed cantilever element 16 ofspringlike nature. Such element 16 at one of its ends, i.e., that endnear the hinge 18 being integrally formed at 16A with the temple 14, theother end 168 being flared to facilitate its use as a clip or clasp. Theoverall length and nature of this cantilever element 16 providessufficient resiliency so that while normally its free end abuts or isclosely spaced from the temple 14 it serves to clasp or clamp shirt orsuit material between such clip element 16 and the temple ]4 asillustrated in FIG. 1 so as to secure the entire spectacle constructionagainst accidental removal from the shirt pocket P shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 3 the clip 116 instead of being of plastic may be of metal suchas spring steel and its end 116A closest to the hinge 18 may be securedto the temple 14 using a pair of rivets 116C. the other end of the clipbeing flared at 116B to facilitate insertion of the clip or clasp in itsoperative position illustrated in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 4 the clip or clasp may take the form ofa generally U-shapedwire 216 of, for example, spring steel with its opposite ends bent andextending through mating apertured portions such ends of the wire clipor clasp 216 extend and are secured as for example by a press fit byglue or other fastening means which may be of such nature to permit easyremoval of the U-shaped wire clip. The other end of the wire clip orclasp 216 is flared at 216B to facilitate placement of the specta clesin the persons shirt or coat pocket.

FIG. 5 illustrates another form of clip or clasp featured by the factthat the same may be conveniently re moved or replaced, other details ofthe clip shown in FIG. 5 being illustrated in FIG. 6.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 the clip or clasp 316 involves the use of a sleeve 316Eof elastic material such as white or other colored rubber encircling andretained on and by a metal strip 316F which has its other end flared at316G. The sleeve 316E is retained in place using a combination of tabsand tongues integrally formed with the metal strip 316. Thus, the metalstrip 316 is formed with a tongue 316H which has its extreme end bent at316.] to partially encircle the rubber sleeve 31613; and also a pair oftabs 316K, 316L on opposite sides of the centrally-located tab .316 alsoengage one end of the elastic sleeve 316E to assure retention of thesame on the metal element 316.

Using the construction shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 the sleeve 316E is securedto the clip as illustrated and described above and that assembly maythen be slid over the temple 14 to the position shown in FIG. 5 whereinsuch assembly is retained as a result of stressing or stretching of theelastic or rubber sleeve 316E and it retains the same in place on thetemple 14.

While the drawings illustrate only one clip mounted on one temple itwill be appreciated that it is within the scope of the invention tomount a like clip on the other temple of the conventional pair ofspectacles that includes, of course, two temples.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from theinvention in its broader aspects and therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of this invention.

1 claim:

1. In an arrangement wherein a clip is used for releasably securingconventional spectacles having a temple hinged to a lens frame to apersons clothing such as, for example, his shirt or coat pocket whereinthe improvement comprises, a clip of cantilever structure, said clipbeing an elongated strip member with an elastic element encircling oneend portion of said strip, and means on said strip retaining saidelastic element on said one end portion, said elastic element beingstretchable such that said temple may be inserted between said elementand said strip with said elastic element then engaging said temple withsufficient frictional contact to prevent slippage of said clip on saidtemple and with said elastic element then serving as a hinge element forhinging said strip member on said temple.

2. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strip memberis non resilient and said elastic element provides all of the resiliencynecessary for clipping of the spectacles on said shirt or coat pocket.

3. In an arrangement as set forth in claim 1 wherein 4. In anarrangement as set forth in claim 3 in which said retaining means is anintegrally formed bent porsaid bent portion is a tongue portion having awidth less tion of said strip which is bent around a portion of saidthan the width of said strip with which it is integral elastic elementto retain it on said strip.

1. In an arrangement wherein a clip is used for releasably securingconventional spectacles having a temple hinged to a lens frame to aperson''s clothing such as, for example, his shirt or coat pocketwherein the improvement comprises, a clip of cantilever structure, saidclip being an elongated strip member with an elastic element encirclingone end portion of said strip, and means on said strip retaining saidelastic element on said one end portion, said elastic element beingstretchable such that said temple may be inserted between said elementand said strip with said elastic element then engaging said temple withsufficient frictional contact to prevent slippage of said clip on saidtemple and with said elastic element then serving as a hinge element forhinging said strip member on said temple.
 2. In an arrangement as setforth in claim 1 wherein said strip member is non resilient and saidelastic element provides all of the resiliency necessary for clipping ofthe spectacles on said shirt or coat pocket.
 3. In an arrangement as setforth in claim 1 wherein said retaining means is an integrally formedbent portion of said strip which is bent around a portion of saidelastic element to Retain it on said strip.
 4. In an arrangement as setforth in claim 3 in which said bent portion is a tongue portion having awidth less than the width of said strip with which it is integral.